HR Happy Hour

HR Happy Hour - Episode 73 - 'HR Horror Stories II' Thursday October 28, 2010 - 8PM ET Sequels are a funny thing. For every sequel that kicks butt and helps to further the story, (think Empire Strikes Back), there are about a dozen that are a ridiculous waste of time. Last year, just before Halloween, we held the first 'HR Horror Stories' show, and it was EPIC. Listeners called in to share some of the most incredible, frightening, and cringe-worthy tales from their time in HR, Recruiting, and general management. Look, we all know people do some crazy, inappropriate, and shocking stuff at work. And we know that most of the time HR has to come in and clean up the mess. Since we know that even though last year's HR Horror Stories show was off the chain, there are even more wild stories out there that need to be told. So this week, in the spirit of the season, it is 'HR Horror Stories II'. No scheduled guests. No agenda. Just you calling in to share your tales of shock and awe from your time on the front lines. Crazy interview stories, harassment, fraud, embezzlement? You name it, it is fair game this week. And if we don't get enough 'Horror Stories' called in, I will talk about basketball for the entire show. You have been warned.

HR Happy Hour - Episode 72 - 'Fistful of Talent Radio' Thursday, October 21, 2010 - 8PM ET This week on the big show we welcome back the Fistful of Talent crew, from the awesome blog of the same name - www.fistfuloftalent.com. Fistful of Talent, (FOT for short), is known for insightful commentary, keen analysis, and a fine blend of snark, pop culture riffs, and controversial opinions. This week on the show the FOT crew will take on some of the current issues making noise in the recruiting space, Googling candidates, how the candidate experience is overrated, and why would anyone ever outsource their recruiting function. We will be joined by some of your favorite FOTers, Kris Dunn, Jessica Lee, Tim 'The Michigan Mauler' Sackett, and more. I hope you can join us this week as the Fistful of Talent makes its triumphant return to the HR Happy Hour show.

HR Happy Hour - Episode 71 - 'The Women of HR take over. Again.' Thursday October 14, 2010 - 8PM EDT This week on the HR Happy Hour Shauna Moerke, aka the HR Minion, and her fellow Women of HR contributors take over the show yet again. A lot has happened with the Women of HR site since the last time they took over the show and recently they reached out to their readers and contributors for some feedback! Because in the end, the Women of HR site isn't just about pushing out content, it's about building community and a place where women (and men!) can have the conversations that challenge the way we work and think. And that is what tonight's show is all about. The Women of HR are coming on the show to talk about what they've accomplished, what they hope to accomplish, and most importantly of all, have a conversation with you to find out what you think their next steps should be. Join us for what is sure to be a informative show and find out exactly why the Women of HR's logo is "We've Got Your Back."

HR Happy Hour - Episode 70 - 'Live from HR Southwest - Doing More with Less' Special Time - Tuesday October 12, 2010 - 1:30 PM ET / 12:30 PM CT The HR Happy Hour wraps up the coverage from the HR Southwest conference with a special episode focusing on 'Doing more with less'. The recession has devastated most HR departments and we often find ourselves having to balance fewer resources and lower budgets against rising expectations and an increased workload. So how should today’s HR department manage doing more with less? Broadcasting live from the 2010 HRSouthwest Conference, our live panel will share their ideas for making the most of your limited capacity. We’ll also be announcing a fun and exciting contest sponsored by WorkForce Software. I hope you can join us for Day 2 from the HR Southwest event, fun, friends, and a few surprises are in store.

HR Happy Hour - Episode 69 - 'Live from HR Southwest - The HR Conference Show' Special time - Monday October 11, 2010 - Noon ET, 11AM CT. The HR Happy Hour show is back on the road, this time live from the 2010 HRSouthwest Conference in Texas. We have been at several HR events in the last couple of months, and we thought it would be a good time to take stock of the current and future conference environment. In partnership with our friends from Voice of HR, the HR Happy Hour will talk about the HR conference scene, and our live panel will share their observations about HR conferences and discuss what works, what doesn’t and where they’d like to see HR conferences headed in the future. In true HR Happy Hour fashion, there will be lively discussion, strong opinions, and lots of opportunity to make fun of the host. Live from HR Southwest Day 1 - I hope you can join us.

HR Happy Hour - Episode 68 - 'The Career Summit' Thursday - October 7, 2010 - 8PM ET This week on the HR Happy Hour show we welcome New Media Services founders Mark Stelzner and Laurie Ruettimann to discuss their innovative and ambitious 'Career Summit' event, set for October 26 - November 17, 2010. What is a career summit? It’s like a career management conference and an online course, rolled into one. Mark and Laurie have teamed up with a slew of leading career, recruiting, and entrepreneurial experts to offer a unique and interactive experience for job seekers, folks looking to make a move in their careers, and people interested in perhaps discovering their next steps. On the show Mark and Laurie will be joined by several of the great Career Summit speakers and presenters who will talk about the event, their interests and passions, and give us a taste of what is to come during the summit. I hope you can join us for an informative and interactive hour, all about you and your career.

HR Happy Hour - Episode 67 - 'Live from HR Tech' Thursday September 30, 2010 - 8ET/7CT The HR Happy Hour show makes a triumphant return to Chicago, and the HR Technology Conference. Technology, social networking, conference parties - all are fair game for this week's show broadcasting live from the scene of one of the year's must attend events. When the HR Happy Hour comes to your event, prepare for fun, interesting conversation, and definitely some surprises. If you are at the event, and get your hands on a super-exclusive event ticket, we will see you at the show. For everyone else, I hope you can listen in, call in, and join in on all the fun from Chicago.

HR Happy Hour - Episode 66 - 'Wrestling with Wellness' Thursday September 23, 2010 - 8PM ET Subtitle - 'It is quite possible you are too fat to work here'. You can't swing a cat around the office these days without coming up against some corporate wellness type initiatives. Whether it is Sally in Accounting handing you a pedometer, a company sponsored Weight Watchers meeting (oddly they are always at lunch time), or the benefits team trying to convince, cajole, or badger you into quitting smoking, twinkies, or sitting on your butt all week. Wellness in the workplace is a fact of life for many of us now, and for the folks in the organization responsible for keeping the company's benefits costs under control, it is really a serious matter. But wellness at work is kind of a contradictory concept. We want folks to work like dogs, put in extra hours, fuel up on caffeine to keep going, and often engage in lots of behaviors that are not all the 'well'. And the idea of an employer monitoring your habits, diet, and really personal affairs does not sit well with many employees. And the last thing we want is for the company or employees to turn into the diet police at work. But health care costs spiral out of control, and orgs can't continue to bear these increases (and neither can employees). So where is the happy medium between 'big brother' monitoring and thoughtful, successful, and enlightened wellness programs. I am not sure, so this week Fran Melmed, Tanya Barham, and Greg Mathews will join us on the show to wrestle with wellness. I hope you can join us.

HR Happy Hour - Episode 65 - 'Tomorrow's HR Today' Thursday September 16, 2010 8PM EDT The future is a funny thing, no matter how much we seem to worry, prepare, and plan, it always kind of sneaks up on us, and before we know it, Bam!- it's smacking us upside the head. Perhaps it's because inside organizations and as leaders and HR professionals we get caught up in the day to day, burdened or even overwhelmed by outdated processes, tired information systems, and rigid, inflexible structures and hierarchies that may have served a noble purpose in the past, but now seem to keep us stuck and unable to do the important and interesting work we know we are capable of. We know we have to get smarter, more nimble, and better able to react to changing conditions in the external marketplace, as well as in the management of organizational information and unleashing of internal talent. It would be hard to argue those points, and while we know them to be true, the trick is how to go about making the changes needed, and as leaders and HR professionals how to raise our games to deliver on these objectives. Better technology, more business-savvy HR teams, and deeper understanding of how to tie employee efforts with personal and organizational goals - those are some of the keys to unlocking the future, and they will be what we will discuss this week on the show with our special guests Leighanne Levensaler, Vice President of HCM Strategy at Workday, and Jennifer Fitzpatrick, Director HR & Talent Management at Chiquita Brands International. Leighanne and Jennifer not only know the talk, but they know how to deliver, and they will share their insights and expertise to help you understand how to enable 'Tomorrow's HR Today'. I hope you can join us.

HR Happy Hour - Episode 64 - 'Ask a Manager' Thursday September 9, 2010 - 8PM EDT Ever have a problem at work that needed solving, and you didn't have just the right person to turn to? Your peers probably don't have the expertise and insight (and besides who knows if they'd just stab you in the back anyway), you can't go to your manager (since often the problem is about them), and requests for help to your friends on Facebook fail you, since most people are too busy with Farmville to spend time on your problems. So what do you do? You 'Ask a Manager!' That's right - Alison Green, the creator and author of the popular 'Ask a Manager' blog will be our guest this week, taking your (and her readers) most pressing questions about careers, the workplace, and dealing with their own managers. You can even call in your questions live at 646-378-1086 to get your tough questions answered live. I hope you can join us for what should be a fun and interesting show.

HR Happy Hour - Episode 63 - 'The HR Tech Conference Preview' Thursday September 2, 2010 - 8PM EDT One of the biggest and most important events on the HR industry conference calendar is the Annual HR Technology Conference, being held once again in Chicago from September 29 - October 1. Joining us on the show, and making his first appearance on the HR Happy Hour, will be the legendary Bill Kutik, the Conference Co-Chair, and the driving force behind the growth and success of the event. Bill is also considered the leading independent analyst of the HR technology marketplace with specialties in HCM, Recruiting, Talent Management and social networking, in addition to being described as 'The Most Interesting Man in HR'. Bill will share his thoughts on the event, the importance of technology to the HR and business leaders, some insights into the rapidly changing HR Technology market, and perhaps even some great tales from his early journalism days. I hope you can join us this week as we talk HR Technology with the Godfather, the great Bill Kutik.

HR Happy Hour - Episode 62 - 'Leadership and Engagement' August 31, 2010 - 1:00 PM EDT This is the second of our special HR Happy Hour shows live from the HR Florida Conference in Orlando, Florida. Joining us on the show will be Cathy Martin in her first ever appearance on the HR Happy Hour show. We will talk the about the important issue of employee engagement and the importance of leadership to help drive engagement, and align engagement development activities to organizational strategy. Cathy will help us all learn how to make the critical connection between engagement and success in the organization. Also, the great crew from Voice of HR and New Media Services will join the fun - that's Mark Stelzner and Laurie Ruettimann in case you have been sleeping. I hope you can join us for a special day time edition of the HR Happy Hour - live from HR Florida.

HR Happy Hour - Episode 61- 'The World According to Tincup' Monday August 30, 2010 - 1:00 PM EDT The first of our special HR Happy Hour shows live from the HR Florida Conference in Orlando, Florida. Joining us on the show will be the man, the myth, the legend William Tincup for his first ever appearance on the HR Happy Hour show. We will talk the HR and HCM market, how HR pros can sort through all the messaging to make the best decisions about products and services, and why most HR service providers market in a style suitable for the 1950's. Also, the great crew from Voice of HR and New Media Services will join the fun - that's Mark Stelzner and Laurie Ruettimann in case you have been sleeping. I hope you can join us for a special day time edition of the HR Happy Hour - live from HR Florida.

HR Happy Hour - Episode 60 - 'Seiden Says' Thursday, August 26, 2010 - 8PM EDT This week the great Jason Seiden takes the reigns, guest hosting a special episode of HR Happy Hour. Jason is the author of 'How to Self-Destruct: Making the Least of What's Left of Your Career'; and 'Super Staying Power: What You Need to Become Valuable and Resilient at Work', as well as a speaker, consultant, swami, guru, svengali - you get the idea. Jason will take your calls and offer his own unique perspective on career management, navigating the complex world of the modern organization, and how failure is not only an option, it is an essential part of the journey. Please join us for this special episode, where we hand the keys to the HR Happy Hour over to Jason Seiden, for 'Seiden Says'.

HR Happy Hour - Episode 59 - 'About Your Performance Review' Thursday, August 19, 2010 - 8PM EDT So let's talk about your performance this past year. I think you did do an overall excellent job, and you are a valuable resource to the team, but I am under pressure from HR not to give out too many 4's and 5's, so I have to give you a 3. Don't worry, you are still well thought of in the organization, and since we are looking to hold the line on annual salary increases, the ratings this year are not all that important. Any questions? Great, just sign and initial on the last page. How about those (choose from among) Yankees, Red Sox, Braves, Dodgers? Sound familiar? A little cynical? Only happens in 'bad' companies? Maybe. This week on the HR Happy Hour show we take on, and I mean take on, one of the sacred cows in HR and management practice. The annual performance review. Who among us actually looks forward to giving or receiving these? Why are they so dysfunctional, one-sided, and in many organizations, kind of meaningless? Our guest this week, Professor Samuel Culbert, author of 'Get Rid of the Performance Review!' argues that they need to be scrapped once and for all. That they do not serve any useful purpose, and actually degrade morale, performance, and results. You might agree, you might disagree, but you have to join us this week to really make up your mind. Yes, we want to talk to you this week 'About Your Performance Review'. We promise it won't be too painful.